It always seemed like the Olympics would never get round to happening in London and even though a date was set and stadiums were being built, it always seemed too far in the future to actually have an impact on me. Now I'm working in the capital and being faced with the hysteria of lost tourists complete with suitcases and 30-minute waiting times for tubes, though part of me thinks it might not be all that bad. Although I don't have any tickets to enjoy the events first hand, there's plenty of other ways to enjoy the atmosphere, with pop-up shops and restaurants (I've been enjoying some street food myself) and lots of incentives to stick around. I've been walking around and getting buses more, discovering that certain places aren't as far flung as they seem and making the most of free wifi even if I do end up being stuck underground. This weekend, I decided to make the most of what my city has to offer, before the inevitable crowds and headlines.
Back in my Art Foundation days, I used to enjoy screen printing designs onto t-shirts and fabric and seeing whatever sketches I'd drawn come to life, over and over again. Alas, I had to choose between printing or knitting and I think we all know how the story ends. It was a no-brainer when I was asked to create my own tee at the Levi's flagship store on Regent St as part of their Print London campaign. You can pop down there and chose a slogan to go on your £25 tee before printing it yourself and taking a photo of your creation using the handy photobooth. There's even the oppurtunity create your own slogan by tweeting with the #printlondon hashtag (I'm still brainstorming mine). Incidentally, I chose the slogan that had been created by Jay of Dirty, Sexy, Things fame, who just happened to be there at the same time as me prompting a few you-look-familiar thoughts until I realised later. There might be a bit of a create-your-own trend emerging as the screen printing company does a few other events, allowing people to become a part of the manufacturing process. If you want to relive your art school days (complete with denim overalls to protect your outfit) the workshop is there until August 3rd.
Jacket - Stradivarius
Dress - Zara
Swedish Hasbeens - c/o Spartoo shoes
Ring - Monki
Necklace - c/o Gogo Philip
Finally the weather is decent again! Nothing beats London in the sunshine and I decided to spontaneously join the Bloggers Picnic crew in Hyde Park once I knew that rain was off the cards. I've been doing a fair bit of online sale shopping recently but felt it was somewhat pointless since Summer seemed to be something that we wouldn't be getting this year. I don't normally shop in Zara due to the chaotic stores and my lack of fighting spirit, but somehow I got caught up in the sale hype online and ordered this lace dress. The romantic Isabel Marant (or-insert-pricey-French brand here) vibes were too hard to resist and I knew that I could wear it again year after year until it falls apart. Now I can probably count the amount of times I've worn pink in my 'adult' life on one hand, as it's a colour that usually scares me due to its unashamedly sweet connotations. The purchase of the biker-style jacket came as a result of seeing it on someone at work who'd bought it on a Spanish holiday and after realising that Stradivarius didn't ship to the U.K, I enlisted my Aunt based in Germany to help get the order to me. Incidentally the company is part of the same group as Zara, but seems slightly cheaper with similar product. Hopefully some U.K stores are on the horizon soon? I'm not sure if my aunt will want to continue being a postal service for much longer. I've been living in my Swedish Hasbeens clogs ever since I got them, wearing them rain or shine (which hasn't helped their appearance if you spy them close-up). I've banned myself from buying any more similar pairs but noticed that they're having a sample sale in London, so please take advantage for my sake!
Now for an Opening Ceremony that everyone can experience, finally London has a branch to call its very own and I decided to visit and hopefully bring back memories of their Soho store in New York. The prices are quite reasonable if you've been earning for a few years and that's how your brain is wired, but for my graduate mentality I think I may have to wait for a sale (or lapse in judgement) to get my hands on some of the reissued Chloe Sevigny bits and pieces. I couldn't stop thinking of this Kenzo iPhone case once I'd left the shop, so I went back to buy it after justifying that I shared the same initial as the brand and it was therefore destiny.
Have you been enjoying any of the various things happening in London this Summer? Hopefully I will watch some of the Olympics on the big screens dotted around the city and the weather will cooperate. All of the shops are going to be open later too so no doubt I'll be sharing some spontaneous purchases that occurred because the commute was too long!
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